Nobt-slip pneumatic tread



C. F. DYER.

NON-SLIP PNEUMATIC TREAD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-20. 191.8.

Patented Sept. 9,1919.

CHARLES FRANCIS DYER, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

NON-SLIP PNEUMATIC TREAD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FRANCIS DYER, citizen of the United States, and resident of borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have'invented certain new and useful Improvement in Non-Slip Pneumatic Treads, of which 7 the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe treads and 1s herein shown forpurposes of illustration as embodled in a rubber overshoe such as worn for protection over the ordinary boot or shoe.

The invention has for its principal object to provide improved shoe treads which may be worn with the same convenience and comfort .as the shoe treads heretofore. available, while at the same time of greater anti-slipping efliciency. To this end, the invention provides a novel shoe tread in which the tread surfaces of the forepart and the heel of the tread, or either tread surface only if desired, are provided with a large number of comparatively small, readily compressible vacuum cups which, when compressed as an incident to the wear of the treads, act to produce an effective-vacuum resistance of the treads against slippage on the walking surface. These smallvacuum or suction cups which constitute the tread surface of the sole, and the heel not only serve as an antisl1pp1ng medium for the treads, but they also constitute a particularly effective pneumatic cushion to minimize the to walking.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the vacuum cupped tread surfaces of the overshoe are obtained by employing as the bottoming material for the forepart of the shoe'and the tread portion of the heel a relatively resilient material of cellular or honeycomb structure such, for example, as

sponge rubber. As shown, these shoe bot- Specification of Letters Patent.

jars incident Patented Sept. 9, 1919..

Application filed'August 20,1918. Serial No. 250,739.

parent'from the following description read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the various novel features of the invention will be setforth in the appended claims. g t The drawing shows a perspective view partly in section, of an overshoe constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the upper 2 of the overshoe is of the usual construction,

being composed of a plurality of layers of.

rubber and cloth vulcanized together and vulcanized to an insole 4: as illustrated. An outer layer 6 of rubber may be applied to the shank portion ofthe overshoe, the forward edge of this layer terminating at substan tially the ball line of the overshoe and extending upwardly over the heel breast portion of the overshoe;

The tread surfaces of the heel and forepart portions of rubber overshoes as heretofore made presented a comparatively hard rubber surface with little, if any frictional gripping utility, particularly if the walking surfaces are wet or if ice is formed on them. The tread surfaces of such shoes are customarily corrugated or roughened to ofier' greater anti-slipping surfaces for the overshoe, and although they serve to reduce the slippage to some extent when first worn, the corrugations are readily worn down so that practically no protection is afforded by the overshoe against slippage. It has also been proposed to provide anti-slipping means for shoes in the form of protuberances or projections upon the treads of the shoes, but such means do not provide an even and uniform tread surface and consequently are uncomfortable and apt to trip the wearer..

In accordance with my invention as herein illustrated, the bottoming material for the overshoe are composed of a relatively soft and resilient material 8 of cellular or honey lcgomb structure, as, for example, sponge ruber. large numberof small vacuum cups, such as indicated at 10, for the tread surfaces of the sole and the heel and when the material is compressed by the weight of the body during walking these cups serve effectively to resist slippage of the shoe on the walking surface. As shown, the bottom for the forepart of the overshpe is the approate shape of the forepart and the margin 12 of are A material of this character ofiers a much stronger and more serviceable.

the bottom, instead of being of the cellular structure of the other portion of the bottom, is more compact and solid and consequently Also, preferably, the margin of the bottom is of less thickness so that the interior portion is enabled to project above the margin and be compressed by the weight of the body when walking. The tread for the heel of the overshoe is of a similar construction to that of the forepart bottom and both members are preferably integrally incorporated in the shoe by vulcanization to the innersole 4.

To insure a serviceable attachment of the bottoms 8 to the overshoe and also to pro tect and finish the edge of the overshoe, a strip of binding material or foxing 1 1 is vulcanized t0 the overshoe in position to overlap the solid margin of the bottoms and extend a distance on to the sides of the overshoe. By constructing the overshoe as above described the interior tread portion is readily compressible and when so compressed occupies the plane of the margin 12 of the tread which is comparatively firm and solid, whereby a substantially flat and even tread is offered to the wearer, in addition to the pneumatic cushioning effect of the tread resulting from the compression of the material. Although the interior portions of the treads consist of a comparatively soft and yielding material, as distinguished from the harder tread surfaces of the ordinary shoe treads, it has been found that their serviceability is not materially affected inasmuch as shoe treads of the character yield to abrasive action during wear, whereas a hard surface resists the abrasive action.

It will be seen that a shoe tread having a forepart portion and, if desired, a heel portion constructed in the manner herein described is of great anti-slipping efliciency and eflectiveness, and'the wearer of such a shoe tread may walk with confidence and assurance of a firm footing.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a nonslippin rubber shoe-tread consisting of a solid ru ber margin and an interior portion of sponge rubber.

2. As an article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe with a forepart sole portion and a tread portion for the heel consisting of a material having a compact and solid margin, and an interior portion of cellular structure, said two portions being secured by vulcanization to the bottom of the shoe and having a foxing overlapping the solid margin of the treads and extending upon the sides of the shoe and secured by vulcanization.

3. As an article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe with its forepart sole portion and heel portion consisting of solid rubber margins and having interior portions of sponge rubber.

4:. As an article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe having a tread portion of sponge rubber, with a solid rubber margin.

'5. As an article of manufacture, a rubber overshoe with the forepart portion of the bottom of the overshoe and the tread of the heel of the overshoe comprising a layer of sponge rubber attached by vulcanization, and having a binding strip overlapping the margin of the sponge rubber tread portions and extending up on to the sides of the shoe.

Signed at Ridgewood, in the county of Queens and State of New York, this 14th day of August A. D. 1918.

CHARLES FRANCIS DYER. 

